Dorset, England, United Kingdom

Jeremy and Pat Bilham

Our first experience at Borgo di Vagli was not a discovery visit as such because we just turned up on spec and were given nothing but a delightful and friendly reception.Over the years we have met many visitors and it is always a remarkably friendly and exciting experience. There has never been an occasion when we have not had a tremendous evening over Dina’s fabulous cooking perhaps with pizza or two and a great bottle of wine. Over the years of owning it becomes more and more important and apparent that the heart of Borgo di Vagli is in the people you meet and the staff who are there. We have met many new visitors from around the world including US, UK, Canada, Norway and Australia who we are now very proud and honoured to be able to call our friends.It is always a delight to catch up with previous friends on each visit and meet new guests and visitors. It is fun to share our Tuscan and Umbrian experiences.We look forward to many years of meeting up with existing friends and making new ones too.——We first came across Borgo di Vagli almost by chance. Having spent a long weekend in Tuscany it gave us the taste to spend some more time there.After some research we discovered Borgo di Vagli on the web and booked an inspection visit, or so I thought! Flights booked and we turned up, but we were not expected. Our booking had not come through. However, the team could not have been more helpful and put us straight into an available residence overlooking the castle.When Fractional Ownership came along we jumped at the chance. It was absolutely ideal for us and fitted in with the way we chose to use it.We had never normally planned our holidays in advance and we had always expected to get a last minute bargain, but that never seemed to work for us, ending up with accommodation that nobody else wanted, under the flight path etc. They might have been last minute but they weren’t bargains.With Borgo di Vagli it was reliably high quality with no worries and we could book well in advance or just a few days. We know we will be able to just totally relax from day one.As for always going back to the same place, Borgo di Vagli is not a problem for us. We have stayed in most, if not all, of the residences and they all have their own unique charm so we are never disappointed. Also, having visited many times, we find there is no pressure to visit all the tourist areas. We have done that already, so we seek out those places off the beaten track and then reward ourselves with a day by the pool.It was definitely a lifestyle investment for us and it has changed our lives. We visit 3 or 4 times every year; as much as our work allows. Our children, now grown up since we started, still want to come with us and bring their partners (maybe because there is no cost involved for them!). We have brought friends along and they have come back on their own. So it is very flexible from that point of view.Another bonus is that we meet so many great people from the rest of Europe and from the States. Sharing Dina’s meals in I’ cche c’è c’è certainly breaks the ice and we always seem to be the last to leave the trattoria. Then a glass (or two) of Limoncello on the terrace afterwards can extend into the early hours.We have never failed to look forward to our time in “Vagli” whether with family or friends or on our own and have never considered exchanging.

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